TNM and Airtel rapped for swindling customers on Internet services

It seems customers in Malawi are not happy with the two top mobile service providers in the country.

In two unrelated incidents, customers of the two companies TNM and Airtel have taken to the Facebook pages of the two companies to complain about the way the two companies are swindling their clients.

In a post on an official TNM page, a customer by the name of Teshan Mwamlowe complained that the company has started using trickery to steal from its clients. Mwamlowe said that TNM has stopped sending its customers a message to notify them that they had run out of an internet bundle.

“Kodi mwayamba liti zomangomaliza data yomwe munthu wapanga subscribe, mpaka kuyamba kumudyera the remaining airtime osamuuza? (Since when have you stopped informing people that their bundle has run out and instead you just get to using their airtime?)” asked Mwamlowe.

Mwamlowe also wondered the logic behind this new unfair practice coming at a time that the company has just hiked its internet prices. He finished his complaint with a threat that as a TNM customer, he would seek other mobile service providers if TNM were to continue with the swindling of clients.

His opinion was echoed by other people on the post and as we came to publish, the comment had attracted over 45 likes. People in the comments section also supported the threat of leaving TNM. TNM only appeared to reply that they had seen the complaint and would act on it.

Airtel is also another thief TNM’s partner in crimes was not however spared implying that for those threatening to leave TNM, they would not find a solace at its competitors. Posting on the official Airtel page, a customer by the name of Sunga Kufeyani rapped the company for swindling its customers.

“Airtel you should know Jesus, how does a 4GB bundle finish within 10 days? And I didn’t even get any messages on the percentage I have used, your agents aren’t even helpful at all,” posted Kufeyani whose comments had over 65 comments as we published.

Kufeyani told the company to fix its system and stop stealing from its customers.

Airtel official page responded that Kufeyani’s phone might have other apps running in the background that were consuming the data. This was however rubbished by Kufeyani and others who said that they know their phones and know how they operate.

Airtel did not respond to the accusations that they also did not send messages to warn the people on their usage of the internet data when the bundle was nearing expiration. Instead it invited Kufeyani to visit their offices.

MACRA should intervene

Meanwhile some Malawians have asked MACRA to intervene in the swindling of clients that the two companies are involved in.

Dongles once connected (internet)to PC whether you use internet or not the bundles deplete as a matter of other applications running on background especially windows 7 and above the same to smart phones worse if your phone is windows mobile

I can finish 4gb within an hour if my connection is good because I download stuff and my phone apps get updates. If that happens, I don’t get mad at Airtel, I just buy another bundle if I must or just stay offline, no drama

I had a very bad experience with an Airtel dongle 4Gb bundle disappearing without being used and went to their Airtel 4 times until I gave up and throw the dongle in the bin ….we are being screwed left right and centre

Things will not change unless some people come at macra and are willing to allow for more competition in the mobile network business.these two monopolies do whatever they wish because they don’t have good competitors.even Access doesn’t have coverage away from major towns.we need one to two more mobile giants.that is if Macra people are shuffled and new management does not get any funny Ideas

I really agree with your point brother. Having few network in the whole country its a very big problem. Thus why they can offer poor services cz they know that no more competition. Here in SA we have so many network with R12 you can get Data bandles for the whole month. Using Internet Whatsap and everything that need bandles with no more problems. But I wonder why Malawi got few network.

Dont blame TNM & Airtel,blame your own ignorance and lack of education on how to use a Smart phone.This thing called a Smart phone was designed in a way that it can operate so many functions at once most of which functions out of your sight,this is what is called Background Data.What it means is that for example you are on facebook while your Background Data is On it means every application in your phone is consuming your MB’s without your knowledge, that is why when you are on Facebook you keep on receiving notifications from various Apps such as Whatsapp,Instagram,Youtube,Gmail and others.So the solution is for you to go to your settings,then disable Background Data and you will notice an improvement in the time your MB’s last,it is even more helpful to disable a specific App,in my view Google App Store is the main MB consuming App due to its Auto update feature,so just go to Settings, then select All settings,then Data,then choose a specific App and disable its Background Data.But to TNM and Airtel i could just ask them to make the cost of MB’s affordable because some of us are huge consummers of MB’s,for my case on a good day i can use up to 700 MB’s in just a few hours.

May we are ignorant as you put it but from where I stand all that you have explained above is in place and am sure the Macra pple understand the problem too. Thus why they fought the spy machine battle. I may not buy the other side of the macra story but zomwe tiludandaulaxi ndi zenizeni. You’ll understand when you star buying bundles and experience it first hand.

Well explained dude,people need to be careful with these so-called smartphones.These fons consume data like nobody’s business,so its advisable to put mobile data off when not using the fon to avoid data wastage

I also totally agree to this as airtel says one network and roam international but charges hefty sum on the same network as in airtel india. Inspite of airtel being their own service provider with the main branch being in India. Please don’t exploit the customers. Give them the services what they deserve. We pay huge money .

They need to do something! You recharge but even without making a call you find that you have no credit,this is day robbery!The service is next to poor! Yet we r charged exorbintantly TNM organise your house!

Even the users have to regulate their usage. It not guaranteed that when you buy a month bundle it has to last for a month. Otherwise everyone can use the way they want and claim here that the bundles are not lasting long. Not on their side but as a Malawian, my experience about my own society is that we do not want to take responsibility. Everything that goes wrong, a Malawian thinks there must be somebody responsible for that. In general, the ‘why’ question is generally far away from us.

I personally think, if I were these TNM and Airtel guys I would serious put much consideration into the calls issue. And I am very sceptical if the arguments here are factual. In terms of calls we are are very much clear of costs of a call per minute and a hand set keep record of each call. Hence, I find it weird that of all the arguments here, there is none with tangible evidence. All are claims. Zikakhala za ma bundles amwayi ndi fon za makonozi they keep records.

Komano I think the two companies should take the responsibility of making things clear to their customers (which ever way they can) coz apa presentation ya nkhani is not in their favour.

I remember MACRA once had a project to install, machine that can regulate charges from these mobile operators to their customers, but with political reasons zinakanika. Because others suggested that it was spy machine. I don’t know if machine has been installed. Ma guys owonjeza awa

I wonder why the government is just sitting phwi without doing anything. In other countries,the state is responsible for protecting its citizens.Koma pa Malawi, aliyense amazionera yekha boma ntchito koma kutolera misonkho ndi kumagawana.

Its very embarrasing. You buy a 7 days internet bundle you find that it ends on 3rd or forth day. I have had this experience on airtel network all all my recent bundles that I have been lurchasing. A 24 hr bundle finishes within 30 minutes. This is bad

ndakhala ndukugwiritsa ntchito ma bundle omweo mbuyomu the same things that i was dking using the same kund of bundle that lasted me full period today lasts me three days on similar usage. Its not like I’m just talking from the blues but I have the basis. I know what I ‘m saying. Its not fair.